[YURIE NAGASHIMA] SELF-PORTRAITS

A collection of works by Japanese photographer Yurie Nagashima.

In 2017, one of the new works exhibited at the solo exhibition “ And a pinch of irony and a little love ” held at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum was a slide show consisting of nearly 700 self-portraits.

" Self-portraits " is a collection of 24 years of self-portraits selected by the artist himself. In 1992, this book, which began with black-and-white works from his student days when he was traveling as a backpacker, includes early nude works that triggered him to be known as an artist, street setups that convey the atmosphere of Tokyo in the 1990s, and studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Continue to the photos taken inside. Even after returning to Japan and becoming a parent in the 2000s, Nagashima continued to take self-portraits. In an interview with Aperture Foundation creative director Lesley A. Martin recorded at the beginning of the book, Nagashima says that these self-portraits are a form of activism.

Also, referring to his early works in particular, taking pictures of nude gravure and parodies of photobooks using himself as a subject is " for me, it is a question of what kind of gaze from a male society is directed at a woman's body. " It is also said that it is a way to refer . Nagashima says, ` `I can't stand the hair nude photo boom, and whatever the motive, it's impossible for a woman to be consumed for the purpose of a man.'' presents to us the way women should be in a unique way.

“ Especially in the context of femism, self-portraits play the role of both author and subject. As the sequence progresses, the performative aspect that is prominent in the work of . However, even so, the frequency of young children and dogs appearing on the screen has decreased, and by the time they are no longer seen, it will return again from the 2010s, such as "selfies" and "brightness" born from SNS such as Instagram. In opposition to the new photographic culture of , I will shift to conceptual works that cannot be categorized as snapshots or setups. “ My photos are arranged almost chronologically, so you can easily see my changes. Shooting methods, lenses, and equipment. I started using both compact film cameras and 4x5s a lot after I had a child. As experiences and environments change, the subject matter also changes.

After having a baby, I began to focus more on feminist issues in my works, and after the nuclear accident in 2011, I began to pay more attention to the politics of my country. Personal interests and aging also changed the subject matter. When I was younger, I thought my body was mine and I could use it however I wanted, but the birth of my son completely changed my mind. I consider my photography to be very personal, whether it's a set-up or a snapshot. ”